Lucid Nightmare
by pluie du nord
Summary: Suddenly, for no reason at all, Yao wonders if a nightmare can become a lucid dream. Nightmares are just bad dreams, after all... China/Japan; sort-of established relationship; T for mention of rape, violence, and BL; oneshot.


Again with this pair, and so soon? Haha, yes, I know. I got the idea for this at like, 4AM last night. And, like every idea I get at 4AM, it sounded better in my head. Oh well. I wanted to write/publish it anyway. Writing is good for the brain, anyway, right?

So, yeah. I hope you enjoy the brainchild of an idea I got when I should've been sleeping.

**Disclaimer: APH. Not mine. I am not a man, nor am I Japanese. Therefore, I am not Hidekaz Himaruya, and do not own Hetalia.**

Heeeere we go!

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All nations have nightmares. This should not be a surprise to anyone; nations are humans who live longer than normal and face more than the average person. Throughout their lives (if they can even be called that), they face pain head-on in many different forms. War, natural disaster, invasion, betrayal...

Though they are 'immortal,' nations are only, in retrospect, slightly stronger humans. The scars stay; the memories never go away; not one nation is spared of reliving the memories in the form of a dream. Just like humans, only several times worse.

Sometimes, as brothers (or lovers; it didn't really matter, and neither of them knew the difference), Yao and Kiku sleep together, and they wake each other with nightmares of their own.

They gasp simultaneously; Kiku's eyes fly open, already spilling tears, but Yao's remain closed. He blindly reaches out for the younger, smaller man, and said younger and smaller man gladly accepts the offer, clinging desperately. Kiku buries his face in Yao's chest, choking out pleas in broken English and perfect Japanese; _please, no more, not my capital, Hiroshima and Nagasaki should be enough, Amerika-san, __**please**__..._

Yao cannot listen. He can't look at, or talk to, or even_ think _about the man in his arms. The same crying, shaking, pleading man had played the role of the villain in his nightmare previously. Instead, tears begin to form in his own eyes, and pleas of his own run rampant through his mind; _please, no more, stop the raping, stop the killing, Nanking should be enough, Kiku, __**please**__..._

Suddenly, for no reason at all, Yao wonders if a nightmare can become a lucid dream. Nightmares are just bad dreams, after all; such an idea is not a stretch. If he were able to do such a thing, he would be able to change something, stop something... how he'd do it, or what he'd change, even, Yao wasn't sure of himself. Still, he decides he'll take the chance the next time the nightmare comes. It wouldn't change history, as history can never be changed. Still, it would make sleeping next to the villain in his nightmare easier, somehow...

He finally opens his eyes. He runs his hands down to rub circles in the island nation's back until the shaking and crying ceases. Then, gently as can be, Yao pushes Kiku away, exposing his scrunched up, tear-stained face. The elder brushes the younger's bangs away, places a soft kiss on his forehead, and smiles.

"_Wo ai ni_, Kiku."

Kiku's mouth twitches into a quick, contemplative smile back, but he seems to fall back asleep almost as quickly afterward. Yao pulls him close again, the smile still on his face, and he also soon falls asleep, pondering the workings of lucid dreams.

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"A **lucid dream**, in simplest terms, is a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming." (from wikipedia)

Basically, when you're aware you're dreaming, you can set yourself in the dream and consciously change the outcome and events. I've had one before myself. It was really cool, I must say. I really do wonder if you can do that with nightmares... I don't have nightmares often, let alone normal dreams (that I can actually remember), so.

_Wo ai ni_ - I love you in Chinese. Yao and Kiku are China and Japan's human names, of course.

If you liked it, have some suggestions on how I could improve, anything that will make me smile or work harder, review! :D


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